Town of Canton Announces Recovery Coach Services for Those Struggling with Substance Abuse

The 24/7 Naloxone distribution box at the Earl Newhouse Waterfront in Canton now features a QR code that connects smartphone users to a confidential self-referral form to sign up for Connect2Recovery NC-8 Recovery Coach services provided by Riverside Community Care. (Photo Courtesy Town of Canton)

CANTON — The Town of Canton is pleased to announce the availability of recovery coach services for residents of the community who are struggling with substance abuse, as part of a new countywide program with individualized services provided by Riverside Community Care.

Riverside Community Care’s Connect2Recovery NC-8 Recovery Coach services are available for anyone who lives in Canton and currently in recovery or interested in recovery from substance use. The program, which eliminates barriers to recovery and supports a person’s chosen path to healing, is also available for residents of Dedham, Norwood, Milton, Walpole, Wellesley and Westwood.

The Connect2Recovery NC-8 Recovery Coach services are provided with no out-of-pocket costs for the clients, regardless of insurance status.

The Connect2Recovery program stresses a “person-centered, strengths-based approach that puts the person in recovery in the lead.”

The recovery coach is a peer worker with personal, first-hand lived experience with substance use recovery, who has completed intensive training that prepares them to encourage, motivate and support a client on their own substance use recovery journey.

The recovery coach is able to assist individuals to develop a Recovery Wellness Plan, which consists of the goals they wish to achieve in one or more areas of life, including:

• Forming community connections
• Connecting to peer recovery resources, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Dual Recovery Anonymous, SMART Recovery, and Peer Recovery Support Centers
• Assisting with access to living or financial supports, such as SNAP benefits and transitional assistance
• Connecting to health providers and specialists
• Coordinating with the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families and providing help with family support
• Providing support with Massachusetts Drug Courts and Probation

Anyone is welcome to complete a confidential self-referral form to enlist themselves in the Connect2Recovery NC-8 Recovery Coach services. The referral form will be available starting in July through the Canton Board of Health website. This confidential referral form will also be available directly over the internet via a QR code displayed on 24/7 Naloxone distribution boxes stationed around town, at sites including Hagan Court, Devoll Field, the Earl Newhouse Waterfront and the Forge Pond Waterfall. Printed copies of the form will be available at the Canton Public Library, the Department of Elder and Human Services and the Canton Health Department.

Completed forms can be photographed and emailed directly to NC-8@riversidecc.org. Anyone who is interested in the program or looking to refer others can also send their questions to this email address and receive answers from dedicated Riverside Community Care’s Connect2Recovery staff.

The Connect2Recovery NC-8 Recovery Coach services for Canton residents is running as a pilot program through the Norfolk County 8 Collaborative, paid for by participating communities using funding dispersed to them by the state from lawsuit settlements with opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies.

Canton Town Administrator Charles Doody and Canton Department of Public Health Director Meg Goldstein are grateful to be able to offer this program in partnership with Riverside Community Care. Doody and Goldstein both encouraged community members who are struggling with substance abuse — along with their family members, friends and loved ones — to look into the Connect2Recovery NC-8 Recovery Coach services and take full advantage of them.

“This model for recovery coaching, paid for through the opioid resettlement funding, will provide a vital service for people who are unable to afford or otherwise unable to access recovery care,” Goldstein said. “Very few traditional insurance plans cover these services. This will help bridge that gap. The goal is for no one to fall through the cracks. We’re working to make the confidential sign-up process as easy and stress-free as possible. I think it will be very effective. The coaches from Riverside Community Care are experienced professionals who are well-trained at providing solutions and guidance to those in need of substance use recovery. Riverside provides a bevy of social and mental health supports throughout their program. We believe they will be able to really help meet the needs of the people in our communities. We hope as many people take advantage of it as possible.”

“We are proud to make these recovery coach services available to our community members, to help those who are struggling with substance use issues find the support they need,” Doody said. “Riverside Community Care’s Connect2Recovery NC-8 Recovery Coach services offer the assistance of well-trained professionals who provide personalized, ongoing support and guidance, helping individuals to navigate the difficult challenges that they face on the journey toward recovery. Regular interaction with a recovery coach can boost a person’s motivation and commitment to recovery. We urge all those who may benefit from these services to complete a confidential referral form, take a photograph of their completed form and submit them to directly NC-8@riversidecc.org. The decision to do so may put you or your loved one on a path toward long-term recovery.”

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